Antigua-based airline, LIAT 2020 Ltd, is one step closer to taking to the regional skies after it received its first two jet aircraft. The two Embraer ERJ 145s, bearing registrations 5N-BVD and 5N-BXG, touched down at Antigua’s V.C. Bird International Airport within minutes of each other on Tuesday afternoon. Both received a water cannon salute, traditionally used to celebrate milestones in aviation. Antigua & Barbuda prime minister Gaston Browne led a small team onboard to inspect the aircraft’s interior before a short welcome ceremony was held on the tarmac.
According to officials, LIAT 2020 will receive another Embraer ERJ 145 and a 128-seater aircraft from private Nigerian airline Air Peace, which has a 70 per cent stake in the company, later this year. The Antiguan government also purchased three ex-LIAT (1974) Ltd ATR 42-600 aircraft from the Caribbean Development Bank at a cost of US$12.1 million, bringing LIAT 2020’s expected fleet size up to seven. Two of those ATRs are currently grounded and require maintenance to bring them back to airworthiness. According to Browne, the government has committed US$10 million to that project.
While promising the new entity would create and maintain jobs in the aviation sector, the prime minister also invited to ex-LIAT (1974) workers to negotiate directly with his administration instead of via their union. He said, “I know the issue of severance remains an issue. And whereas my administration has no legal obligation to pay severance, I say to those displaced workers of LIAT and even those who are still employed with LIAT, that my administration is committed to covering the 32% severance representing the shareholding that my government had in LIAT at the time. In fact, I say to you that whereas the union has been an impediment, my administration is now prepared to negotiate directly with the LIAT staff. And to put a mechanism in place to make sure that that 32% is paid to you.”
The Antigua and Barbuda Workers Union (ABWU) has previously indicated that it would seek a 100 per cent severance payment for former employees.
